Keep It Simple
by Goblin Cat KC
Summary: Sequel to Simplify, a story not archived here; Vegeta has lured Goku into forming a mating bond, but it's left him with more than he was prepared to deal with and now they must both deal with the consequences. (all lemons have been edited out)
1. Default Chapter

****

Keep It Simple

Sequel to Simplify

Pairings: Gk/V

Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' of this.

Other Info: Goku never left with the dragon, Vegeta never cut his hair, and everyone's alive. In other words, GT is silly and wasn't made by the artist and I don't consider it cannon.

__

"We'll go home, to my Capsule house. We can talk there." Without waiting for a reply, he put his arm around Vegeta and prepared to transmit. Vegeta pressed closer to him, closing his eyes and laying his head against his chest. Goku tightened his hold slightly, and they disappeared. The air swirled around the spot they left, blowing the last embers into a bright glow before they fell dark, a light trail of smoke rising up after.

They appeared inside Goku's kitchen. At first Vegeta didn't move, but as Goku slowly unwound his arms from him, he took a step back and glanced around. Two refrigerators, a sink, table, chairs. Goku flipped on the lightswitch and Vegeta blinked, shielding his eyes. The walls and cabinets were plain white, without adornment. The Capsule house was as plain as when it first shipped off the assembly line.

"I expected decorations," he murmured, resting one hand on the sink. "Human trappings."

Goku didn't seem to hear him. He held Vegeta's free hand and tugged him towards the dark doorway. "You, uh, probably wanna get dressed. I've got spare clothes you can have."

Upset that he'd forgotten all but his gloves and torn shirt back in the forest, Vegeta nodded once and followed. As they moved through the house, Goku turned on the hall light, then the bedroom light. He knelt next to the bed and opened a large trunk, and turned on the bedside lamp before he rifled through the clothes inside.

The light was too much, especially after spending so much time under the stars. Vegeta turned his head away, waiting for his eyes to adjust. His night vision was superior to any humans, but he took longer to adjust between light and dark. He'd thought that was Saiyan biology, but if Kakarrot had turned on all these lights, perhaps not. When he could look around, he didn't see much decoration beyond a few pictures of Gohan and Goten on the nightstand.

Standing in scraps of clothing seemed ridiculous. He'd stood before his rival in destroyed clothes in the past. With a impatient grumble, he tore the bits of his shirt off and tossed them in the wastebasket at his feet. A moment later, he removed his gloves and dropped them on the bed. He stared at them. They seemed so flimsy on their own, limp and flat on the white blanket. The fingertips curled upward as if dead.

"They'll probably be too big," Goku said, standing up. He turned and held out a blue shirt and orange pants. "But they're the ones I shrunk in the wash, so maybe they won't be so bad."

Vegeta took them and glanced at the bathroom door beside him. Before he could ask, Goku answered.

"If you want, you can take a shower while I get something to eat. I don't think we're gonna sleep much tonight."

Nodding, Vegeta turned to enter the bathroom, but as he went in, he thought of something and turned back. "Did...did you hear that thought?" he asked. "That I wanted to clean up?"

"Huh? No, you were just looking that way and you're kinda covered in dirt. I just figured..." He spotted his reflection in the bathroom mirror and grinned self-consciously. Sweat-streaked dirt covered his body and face. "Looks like we both got messy. I hadn't even noticed."

"You could join me," Vegeta said, staring at the floor. "In the shower."

"You wouldn't mind?" Goku's smile disappeared, and he put his hand on Vegeta's shoulders. "You sure?"

He gave a small nod. While Goku slipped by him to start the water, he put the clothes on the edge of the sink and stared into the mirror. Bits of crumbled leaves stuck in his hair and his right side was covered in dirt, probably where he'd slept. But his eyes, he didn't recognize them. Yesterday's confidence was gone and it seemed nothing had replaced it.

"Water's ready," Goku said, already stepping in.

Vegeta turned. Stupid mirror. He stepped in and in front of Kakarrot out of necessity; the water would never hit him behind the larger Saiyan. Waves of steam rose around him. For a little while he stood still, letting the water rinse off the dirt. After a few moments his hair became soaked and fell flat.

Fingertips stroked down his hair, and Vegeta had to steel himself to keep from backing away. Mates had a right to touch each other, didn't they? And it wasn't unpleasant, far from it. He bit his lip and let Kakarrot's hands move from his head to his shoulders, down the center of his back. A second later he realized Kakarrot was holding a bar of soap. The scent filled the shower.

He shook his head. "You don't have to, I can--"

"I know." Goku took Vegeta's right arm and held it up, bringing the soap down to his fingers. "I want to."

Watching his hand, Vegeta leaned back against him and felt for his emotions. A new, strange one filled his mind. It tasted familiar, something he felt when he'd taken care of a feverish Trunks, but this felt deeper and sharper.

"Affection," Goku whispered, giving it a name.

"Can you feel it?" Vegeta asked. "Can you feel when I touch your mind?"

"A little. It's like a piece of cloth brushing over me. See?"

Vegeta shivered as he felt the same, along with the peculiar sensation of having one feeling singled out and examined. "Do you know that one's name?"

"Relief," Goku said.

Without turning, Vegeta felt Kakarrot kneel and his hands move down his sides, along his legs. They brushed his tail scar and he muffled a hiss.

"It still hurts?" Goku asked.

"Of course." Vegeta opened his mouth to say something else, but the light touch was back in his mind, searching for something. He winced and put one hand back on Goku's shoulder to steady himself. He hadn't known the bond could be invasive. The water coursing down his body added to a sensory overload.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you," Goku said, holding his hand. "Do you want me to pull out?"

He shut his eyes tight and nodded quickly. "Yes. It's too much." As the touch left, he caught his breath, unaware he'd been holding it. A lingering taste of his mate's coming apology stuck in his mind, and he shook his head. "Don't apologize. Maybe later, when it's not so new."

"Okay. I'm sorry," Goku stood and turned Vegeta around, making him meet his eyes. "I didn't mean it to feel weird, I just..." He stared at his mate. "It always hurts? Everything?"

Vegeta half-shrugged. "Regeneration tanks heal fast, not correctly. As long as I can move, what does it matter?"

"It matters. Vegeta, you shouldn't have to live in pain. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"To your humans?" He barked a laugh. "Give them something else to laugh at me for?"

"Bulma, then. Or you could have used the dragonballs, no one would have denied you that."

"To be honest...I'm used to it. If I took it away," he looked down, "I might have to relearn my techniques all over again."

"Better that than living in pain. Oh, Vegeta..." he moved to hold him.

Now _that _emotion he knew. Vegeta snarled and took a step back. "No. Don't you dare pity me. Half those injuries come from you and I can still thrash all of--" He stopped as Goku crushed him against his chest, holding him tight. Feeling a real snarling fit coming on, he put his hands on his mate's arms, trying to push away.

"It's not pity," Goku said, holding him still like he used to do with Gohan when he threw tantrums. "It's...I don't know if there's a word for wanting your mate to stop hurting, but that's it."

Vegeta's hands went slack, then hung at his sides. He closed his eyes and let Goku hold him, breathing deep. Whatever this feeling was coming from him, it calmed anger, calmed indignation, leaving him tired. He sighed and lay his head on his mate's chest. "How will you put up with me? I take everything from you, I give nothing back."

"That's not true," Goku said, and his grip tightened as if he could keep him close by force of will. "You're giving me so much right now. I didn't expect this to happen today. Heck, I didn't expect it ever. But I'm glad it did."

"You were angry before."

"Yes, I was." He relaxed his hold enough to let Vegeta lean back and look up at him. "I still am, a little. You shouldn't have forced this on me. I loved you before, I would of let you do this."

Vegeta tossed that thought around for a moment, but finally shook his head and shut his eyes. "No, no one would allow this kind of weakness, this kind of...vulnerability..."

"Being vulnerable isn't always bad."

"It is! I can't think straight!" Instead of backing away like Goku thought he would, Vegeta instead pressed himself against him, barely noticing the arms wrapped around him like a cocoon. "I never understood you before and this bond is like having it pressed against my head. How am I supposed to handle your damn emotions all the time? It's not possible."

Feeling Vegeta's shoulders begin to shake, Goku didn't speak but simply held him for awhile. The sound of water against their skin and tile filled the silence.

"You're going to have to learn how to let yourself feel," Goku said, smiling as he felt Vegeta's head shake. Stubborn... "It's hard sometimes, yeah. And I know you don't like it, but it's really not so bad."

"I have feelings," Vegeta grumbled. "I know what anger is, hate. Sadness."

"You know what every emotion is," Goku said, "but you don't want them. You hate showing any kind of emotion in battle, even anger."

"...I still don't know how it hasn't gotten you killed."

"I'll show you." He leaned forward a little and turned off the water, tugging the towel off the rack and putting it around Vegeta. The cloth fell across the healing scar on the prince's throat, and he let his hand linger on the wound. "You'll see. That's why you did this, right?"

Slowly, Vegeta looked up at him. His flattened hair made him look almost as young as Trunks, but with very old eyes. "Not entirely."

Surprised by that, Goku felt a brush of affection out of his mate, hesitant and light like a feather across his face. And then Vegeta tightened the towel around himself and stepped out of the shower, leaving him in the cooling bathroom.

"Well, come on," Vegeta said, drying off quickly. "You promised food and I'm the one who did most of the work tonight."

Goku shook his head and smiled to himself. Psychotic, scared mate. "On my way."

Even shrunk down Goku clothes were still Goku clothes. Vegeta sat at the kitchen table, trying not to fidget. The pants weren't so bad, but the shirt was so wide it kept slipping off one shoulder. He growled and jerked it back up, but it was already slipping back.

On the other side of the kitchen, Goku busied himself with the tea kettle and tried not to stare at his mate. His shirt wouldn't stay put on the prince and each time it slipped, he caught a glimpse of more skin, especially his throat. He didn't remember anything about biting him, save for the coppery taste.

He paused. Mate. That sounded nice in his head.

The kettle whistled, startling him. After pouring it out into two glasses, he sat across from Vegeta and handed him one. His tail curled around the back of his chair while he stirred in heaps of sugar, keeping his eyes down.

"Is it that obvious?" Vegeta asked.

"Huh?" Goku looked up.

"Your bite." He rubbed at it, feeling it out. The teethmarks ran from midshoulder to the juncture at his neck. "The way you've been staring, I think you want to do it again."

Goku stared back at his tea. "I don't want to hurt you."

Vegeta half-shrugged. "Having my throat gouged out's small price to pay for what I did."

Setting his cup aside, Goku took a deep breath and then gathered Vegeta's hands in his. For a moment he didn't say anything, running his thumbs lightly over the rough calluses and soft valleys.

"You did nothing I didn't let you do."

As if that hurt more than an accusation, Vegeta flinched tried to pull back. "When I told you about the--"

Goku tightened his grip and held him still, looking at him even though Vegeta turned his head aside. "I don't like that you didn't tell me what would happen. Don't ever do that again, okay? Don't force something on me. Promise?"

Silently, Vegeta nodded once.

"Good." Goku lifted Vegeta's hands a few inches to his lips and pressed a light kiss to his knuckles. "But I meant it before, too. I'm glad we're together."

Vegeta glanced at him, but he didn't respond.

"Y'know," Goku kept going, "I didn't think it'd be like this. I always thought if I said anything, you'd hit me or yell a lot, but I liked to imagine you saying something like, 'you idiot, why didn't you tell me sooner,' and then we'd find a beach or a forest to be alone."

Bitter laughter forced its way out of Vegeta, along with a small smile. "You idiot," he said, "why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?"

Goku laughed back, but his smile quickly faded. "I still don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Your family," Vegeta said, nodding once.

"I don't wanna hurt anybody. When they all find out about us--"

"They will blame me." Now it was Vegeta who tightened his grip on Goku's hands, holding them on the table. "Let them. Their anger means little to me. If it comes to blows, then I will win."

"Against all of them?"

Vegeta smirked. "Hardly. Trunks will take my side, and Goten will follow him. At least one of your brood has some fight in his blood. And afterward, you will see their anger subside and everything will be somewhat normal again."

Goku gave him a serious look. "No one will get hurt?"

"I won't hurt anyone badly," Vegeta said. When Goku didn't seem satisfied, he sighed and shrugged. " After all, you still won't tell me which little coward cut off my tail."

"'Geta, that was years ago--"

"You haven't let anyone see your tail," Vegeta said. "Don't you want them to cut it off before you transform?"

"I...I just won't go out during a full moon," Goku said.

"And when they won't believe you?"

Eyes cast down, Goku didn't answer. Of course they wouldn't believe him, the risk was simply too great. Would he have to fight them to keep it? He was spared having to answer as the microwave beeped.

Vegeta leaned back as he watched his mate retrieving their dinner. He smiled to himself. Perhaps back on his home planet, Kakarrot might have hunted down prey, but the role was the same. His mate would be the provider, then, giving the prince a house, food, and protection. He fidgeted. What did he have to give in return?

"You're doing it again," Goku said, setting out two plates. He sat down and half-smiled. "Sorry it's only left-over pizza, that's all I have. I was gonna go shopping tomorrow."

"It's fine," Vegeta said. He could hunt, then, since shopping was ridiculous when prey was easily at hand. Two slices later he realized Goku had said something else. "Doing what?"

"Making yourself feel bad." Goku tapped his head once. "I don't even have to hear you up here, I can tell by your face."

Silence. Vegeta opened his mouth slightly to say something, then closed it again and finished eating. Without a word he stood and went to the bedroom, flipping the light off as he sat on the edge of the bed. For awhile he sat in darkness, listening to the noise in the kitchen as Goku cleaned up and pushed the chairs back in. Goku's heavier footsteps came down the hall, his shadow thrown ahead of him until he turned off the hall lights.

In the dark room, Vegeta didn't need his ki to tell when Goku came in. His mate's presence filled the room like a hot summer wind on a winter night. He didn't move as Goku sat next to him, when Goku put his arms around him, or when his hair was smoothed back, simply, he suspected, for the love of touching him. His oversized shirt was drawn off and dropped, soon joined by Goku's, and now they sat skin to skin. The feeling from his mate was warmth settling on his arms and wrapping around his shoulders, and with closed eyes he drew that warmth closer.

Goku found his hand and held it, threading their fingers together. His other hand he gently splayed across Vegeta's chest and pushed him down along the bed, spooning behind him. After a moment, Vegeta relaxed and lay his head on the pillow, holding Goku's hand tight against his chest.

"Unless you're cold," Goku whispered, "we shouldn't need the blanket. It's pretty warm out tonight."

How could he be cold with an oversized Saiyan behind him? He brought Goku's hand up to his lips and, after a moment's hesitation, pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. A soft tail tip came up and touched his cheek, then settled down against both of their waists. Wrapped up in his mate, Vegeta closed his eyes and let himself sleep.

TBC...


	2. 2

NOTE: The lemon scene was edited out to suit this archive's rules, and is denoted by the prominent SCENE MISSING ala the Nine Inch Nails "Closer" video. The scene can be found at my website, available on my profile page. ****

Part 2

The morning glare slipping under the curtains managed to fall directly across his eyes. Half asleep, Vegeta winced and lowered his head, tugging the blankets over his face. For a moment he wondered who he lay next to, but the familiar scent and the tail draped over his waist brought it back. During the night they'd shifted so that Goku lay on his back with Vegeta nestled in one arm, his head pillowed on his mate's shoulder. He shifted and felt a sting when he realized his feet barely brushed Goku's calves.

What time was it? He yawned and peered at the window. Instead of bright sunlight, there was only a dim glare, and what he could see between the curtains was grey and overcast. A few seconds later a steady tapping started on the roof, and the rain trickled down the window pane. The air in the room was cold enough to drive him back under the covers, huddling closer to his mate.

On wet mornings like this, he was used to waking alone in a cool bed, not beside a warm body, enveloped in a thick blanket...he frowned. He distinctly remembered going to sleep without any blankets. How had Kakarrot managed to cover them both without waking him? The sex hadn't been _that_ mind-blowing, he shouldn't have been off his guard like that.

"You were dead tired," Goku said softly, startling him.

He glanced up at his mate, mollified when he saw only a small smile, not his grin. Without a word, he settled back down on Goku's shoulder. The soft tail tip flicked over his back, brushing his cheek.

"Halfway through the night," Goku continued, "I woke up. You were huddled up next to me and shivering a little. I managed to pull one of the blankets out from under the bed and cover us."

"'Managed'?" Vegeta repeated with a smirk. "Was it so hard?"

"Um, kinda. You wouldn't let go of me." He grinned in embarrassment. "That made it a little difficult."

Vegeta squeezed his eyes shut. Stupid subconscious. Goku watched him for a few seconds, then gently grabbed his wrist and brought his hand up to his mouth, kissing his mate's fingertips until he glanced up. From the look on his face, no one had ever touched him this way before.

"Don't be ashamed," he whispered. "I liked you being so close."

No answer as Vegeta lay still, watching him. Hesitant at first, Goku drew his free hand up Vegeta's side, along his neck and through his hair. A rumbling purr built in the prince's chest until his mate felt the soft vibrations. Encouraged, he continued to run his fingers through his hair, brush his cheek, lightly trace his lips. He leaned close for a kiss-

The doorbell rang.

Both of them looked up with wide eyes. Vegeta sat straight first, drawing his legs up and the blanket a little higher. Goku sat up and put his hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, it's just Piccolo. He probably just came to see why I turned level three last night."

Vegeta nodded once. "Yes...you'd better go meet him, or else he'll never go away."

"Or get Dende to show him what we were doing," Goku said. He put on a pair of pants and stood at the bedroom door, putting on a shirt as he spoke. "We can let him know, right? He won't tell anyone if I ask him not to."

"Do you mind if people know?" Vegeta whispered.

"No," Goku said, his eyes widening. He hadn't thought his mate would assume he was ashamed. "I just...I don't them to come here and start yelling at us. At you."

Vegeta laughed and shook his head. "I'm not so fragile as that. I would be dead now if I couldn't handle their hate." He shooed him off with a wave of his hand. "Go on, answer the door before he looks in a window."

Sheltered from the rain beneath the overhang, Piccolo pressed the doorbell one more time before the door opened. Seeing Goku barely half-dressed and covered in Vegeta's scent, his first thought was that the two Saiyans had sparred long into the night and Goku had invited the prince to sleep over. Then he noticed that Goku had no wounds at all, save for the deep bite in his throat. And his hair, usually in its impenetrable spikes, was ruffled with smaller spikes sticking out of the main ones.

"You slept with him?" he blurted out. A second later his face blushed purple and he shook his head. "No, sorry, it's none of my business--" He inwardly groaned. Now he knew exactly what the power up had been last night.

"It's okay," Goku said, stifling a laugh. "It's okay if you know we...ah, yeah. Um, actually, we're mated."

"Mated?" Piccolo's blush slowly faded back to green, curious despite himself. _Breathe, breathe, it's only Goku and Vegeta. Vegeta of all people, never saw that one coming. _"You mean like..."

"Like married. That's what the bite is," he rubbed the mark and winced at how deep it felt.

"What about Chichi?" He frowned and tilted his head. "And Bulma, for that matter."

Goku looked down at the grass growing at the doorstep. "I don't know about Bulma. She and Vegeta have always been kinda weird."

Piccolo grunted, but he smiled despite himself. "Yeah."

"And Chichi..." Goku shook his head. There was no way to describe such an extreme difference. "She's...it's not like this. me. He..." He gave up and sighed, glancing back down the hall.

The look told Piccolo all he needed to know.

Inside the bedroom, Vegeta pulled the curtains farther over the window to block out the last sliver of light and sat in darkness, listening to their voices. Too indistinct to tell what they were saying, they spoke for a few more minutes before he heard the door close and Kakarrot's footsteps heading back towards the bedroom. He looked up and noticed his mate's smile.

"The namek approves?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"He was more interested in me going level three than us being...together." Goku sat down next to him. "He got this funny look in his eyes when I said you were the one who was transformed most of the time."

Vegeta laughed despite himself. _Asexual my ass_. "Mmm...did he notice your tail?"

"No..." Goku hesitated before slipping his tail up over the edge of his pants. It swished back and forth a few times before Vegeta snatched it, gently holding it still. He ran his fingers against the fur, ruffling it and watching as Goku shivered.

Pleasure, instead of pain. Goku closed his eyes and gripped the edge of the bed, fingers digging into the mattress as Vegeta's hand smoothed his fur, then ruffled it again. He couldn't help himself as he arched, tilting his head back, and Vegeta pushed against the fur all the way up to the base of his spine. Goku clenched his teeth but that didn't stop the small noises coming out of his mouth.

Thrilled with his newfound power, Vegeta smiled and narrowed his eyes, putting his free hand on Goku's chest. He sat up on his knees and leaned against his mate, tracing his fingers up Goku's throat to his mouth, lightly touching his lower lip and forcing his mouth open with a suggestion instead of strength. The taller Saiyan's breath came fast and from deep within his chest, and Vegeta stretched up a little for a kiss.

Goku's arm whipped around the prince's shoulders, crushing him against his body, and Vegeta grabbed Goku's sides to steady himself. The sudden movement trapped him awkwardly sprawled sideways in his mate's lap and he wriggled, trying to find a more comfortable position until Goku drew him further into his lap, tail winding tight around Vegeta's waist. If he hadn't felt Goku's affection under his lust, Vegeta would have fought to get away. Instead he let Goku situate him as he wanted, and the crushing grip softened until he was merely held. He touched Goku's tail again, curling his fingers around the tip and massaging it, drawing another gasp from his mate. The firmness in his mate's pants was a crude sign he was doing this right.

"Still hungry?" Vegeta whispered, already knowing the answer.

"Starving," Goku said, taking another kiss.

When Vegeta drew back again, he brought the tail tip to his mouth and kissed it, flicked his tongue over it. "Want to eat?"

"Oh yes," Goku said, driving his hands up into his hair as he groaned, and his tail whipped so fast it came out of Vegeta's hands.

Immediately Vegeta jumped off his lap and picked up the discarded Goku hand-me-downs, tugging on the pants and tying the drawstring as tight as he could. "Good. Let's find breakfast."

Goku blinked and looked down, his mouth forming a perfect O. "But...huh?"

For a moment Vegeta stared at his face and wanted to try that out but if there was one thing that frightened him, it was a hungry Kakarrot with his mouth close to something rather sensitive. "Food, Kakarrot," he said, drawing on the shirt but leaving off the orange top. "A hunt will make this much more satisfying."

"Huh?" As blood rushed back to his brain, Goku picked out words, breakfast, hunt, more satisfying. "Right now?"

The plaintive whimper brought a smile to Vegeta's face, and he turned and kissed his mate again, able to reach him easily while he was sitting on the bed. "Yes, right now. Trust me, a hunt will lend savor to our..." He hesitated, trying to find the word.

"Love-making?" Goku asked hopefully.

Vegeta might have laughed if the phrase hadn't rested strangely on him. "Love making," he whispered, tasting the word.

"Would you rather get some of your clothes first?" Goku asked. "I can take us--"

"No," Vegeta said and shook his head. "I won't be dressed for long, and I'd rather destroy your clothes than more of my own."

Goku didn't understand what he meant, but if he wouldn't be dressed for long, then he could wait and find out. He took Vegeta's offered hand and followed him to the front door, and when his mate slowly rose into the air, he held tight and flew with him. Moving at a leisurely pace, they gradually left the house in the distance and soared through the lowest clouds for awhile, outrunning the rain until they flew at the front of the storm, dodging arcs of lightning. Goku's heart pounded as he kept hand in hand with Vegeta, trusting him to guide him out of the way of the silver and pink flashes through the vapor, and he marveled at his mate's control. He felt the lightning all around him, but his mate seemed to feel the positive and negative charges in the air leading every strike.

When the strikes grew too numerous, Vegeta took him down toward the tall grass beneath them, letting him skim the top of the blades. The yellow grass parted behind them like water, the occasional bushes and trees like swells and crests of waves. Vegeta gestured to the right and he spotted a herd of deer running away from the storm parallel to them. At this distance, they looked more like dolphins leaping over the ocean's surface. Even the light seemed reflected on the glistening grass.

"There," Vegeta said, "that's perfect."

Goku followed his look and saw their prey, a small dinosaur no larger than himself, but what it lacked in size it made up in teeth and claws. Its arms ended in hooked talons, its fangs filled its mouth, and its eyes locked on him as they neared. He started to ascend but Vegeta's hand tightened and he shook his head.

"Watch me," he said softly.

"But it's dangerous--" Goku started, but Vegeta pulled him to a stop and squeezed his hand.

"Trust me," he said. "Just watch."

Leaving him several yards away, Vegeta flew in closer to the raptor, feet never touching the ground. He dodged the first snap of its jaws, ducking under its teeth and landing a kick to its stomach. Its arm came around in a vicious slash that took a few strands of hair as Vegeta leaned back, then retaliated with his own slash, his smaller claws gouging its skin. It turned its back to him, surprising him long enough to slam its tail into his side. He nearly landed on his back in the dirt but flew inches off the ground long enough to rise again, dodging as it tried to leap on him.

Holding his breath without realizing it, Goku watched his mate change tactics, landing and using the ground for leverage as he dodged and attacked. Goku winced, thinking he'd see Vegeta sliced in half, but as the fight went on it became less a battle and more of a dance, the prince leading his prey in circles, baiting it over the grass. Exhilaration, a racing heart, mouth slightly open as he hissed in breath, Goku felt his mate's emotions as if they were his own. He felt the bloodlust, the love of this primal game he'd never fully experienced. Oh, he'd hunted, but never like this. He'd never preyed.

When Vegeta leaped behind it and grabbed its neck, ripping its throat open, Goku felt the blood running over his own hands, felt the wet heat sliding through his palms, the scent of a fresh kill drawing him close. Vegeta forced the body to the ground and bent over it, holding its flailing limbs still and its head up so it couldn't bite, pressing his mouth to the flowing blood. Seeing his mate, his royal mate, on all fours like a wolf lapping the blood of its kill, sent hard shivers through him. As the raptor died, its body turning still, Vegeta ceased and sat up, blood smeared across his lips. Without bothering to wipe it off, he hooked his fingers into its chest and ripped off a broad swath of muscle, exposing the ribs which he promptly broke apart. He seized the heart and tore it out, holding it out to Goku as it gave one last shudder.

In the cool air the heart steamed, still hot and dripping. High on his mate's kill, Goku fell to his knees and took it in both hands. Vegeta's feelings left no doubt. He opened his mouth and bit into it, ripping through a chamber and pulling off a large piece. It burned in his mouth and he swallowed, the blood leaving a rich taste of cream, and he took another bite.

Vegeta's hands came around his, pulling the heart up to his own mouth for a bite. Vegeta swallowed and took his time with the second bite, lapping up the excess blood on Goku's palms and fingers before ripping off another section. Between two Saiyans, the heart went fast. As he sat back on his side of the body, Goku grabbed his wrist and held him stretched over the gaping wound, forcing a kiss. Blood mingled and Vegeta leaned on the dead dinosaur, ignoring the blood soaking into his borrowed clothes.

**SCENE MISSING**

The storm seemed to quiet now, no longer really raining but sending mist down around them. Sunlight began to pierce the clouds, scattered beams that passed over them with the breeze, their skin glistening with raindrops. Goku trailed one finger over Vegeta's stomach, following the curves of his muscles and swirling the cool water, nuzzling his mate's forehead as Vegeta drowsed on his shoulder.

"Some storm," he whispered.

Vegeta stretched and relaxed, closing his eyes. "We _were_ the storm." He put one hand on Goku's, holding it between them. It was true, then. He wouldn't be hurt. And these new feelings filled some place that had been empty before. He caught the scent of a bit of blood on Goku's shoulder and licked it away, savoring the taste and smiling when he felt the kiss on his cheek for his trouble.

So content together, they didn't notice the approaching ki until it was too late. Goku sat up on one arm, loathe to jostle his mate, and watched silently as his human friend came closer, until the grass was no longer high enough to hide the raptor's mangled body, his tail, or the naked Saiyan beneath him. Goku rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth, wiping away the last traces of blood as he stared back at the horrified look on Krillin's face.

For a moment none of them moved, too shocked or too tired to care. And then Vegeta sat up slightly and pressed his mouth to Goku's chest, nuzzling and nipping the skin, and he glanced sideways at Krillin, making sure the monk knew exactly what had happened and even who was serving who. With his mouth still open, Krillin turned and flew off as fast as he could, vanishing into the clouds.

Goku exhaled and closed his eyes. "Oh boy..."

"You'll survive," Vegeta said softly. "They cannot hurt you."

Goku put his arm around his mate's shoulders and held him close, lowering his face to Vegeta's hair. "I hope you're right. I hope you're right."

The clouds cleared at last, bathing the field in warm sunlight.

TBC...


	3. 3

NOTE: The lemon scene was edited out to suit this archive's rules, and is denoted by the prominent SCENE MISSING ala the Nine Inch Nails "Closer" video. The scene can be found at my website, available on my profile page. ****

Part 3

Drying blood itches. After several minutes of laying with his mate, Goku couldn't stand it anymore and decided he wanted a bath. Vegeta only had the vague feeling that they were about to go, even though Goku showed no sign of releasing him, and he rose up on his elbows to look at him. One moment they were in the grass, the next on the bank of a river near Goku's house. Vegeta sighed and lay back down. Sunlight streamed through the tree branches overhead and he closed his eyes. Much warmer, but after the heat they'd generated together, the shade could have been cooler.

Cool water splashed onto his stomach and he flinched, sitting up and spotting Goku a few feet away, up to his thighs in the river. The river flowed around him, running fast enough to splash against his legs, but he'd already dipped in, peeling off his wet shirt and pants, rinsing them clean and tossing them on the bank. Vegeta stared for a moment, looking from Goku's dripping hair to the sparkling streams slipping down his throat and shoulders, gathering speed along his stomach and racing down to the center of his body, guided by the joints in his hips. He followed one drop, quicker than the rest, until it ran down and dripped back into the river.

"Come on, 'Geta," Goku said, tilting his head and splashing a little more water at him. "It's not cold really."

No, and it was getting warmer. Vegeta smiled and got to his feet, wading into the river. It was cool enough to give him a jolt, and he moved a little faster to his mate's side, ignoring the smooth stones and silt beneath his feet that nearly made him slip.

And then Goku pounced on him, sending both of them into the river.

Vegeta squawked and swallowed water as he went backwards with Goku on top of him, but he had far more combat experience than his mate and treated the water like air, flying out of his grip and moving with the current out of Goku's reach. He caught a solidly embedded stone and turned, fighting the current and standing up. He whipped his head backward to get his hair out of his face, sending drops arcing out behind him. When he turned around, he froze as he found Goku staring at him. His mate had a strange look that he didn't recognize and he reached through their bond, skimming the surface. To his surprise, he didn't recognize the feeling either.

"You..." Goku looked over his prince, starting where the water ended obscenely low on Vegeta's hips, up his stomach and chest, dripping wet with one hand raised protectively in front of himself, the other pushing stray locks of hair back from his face. He'd only rarely seen Vegeta's hair wet enough to lay down, but now he had an up close view. "You look like Trunks."

"It's not purple." Growling softly, Vegeta let his hair be and crossed his arms. "And it's still in spikes."

"No, not that," Goku said, coming closer. He stopped when Vegeta took a step backward. "You look so young."

"Older than you." Vegeta looked away, feeling his face burn under the cold water. He snarled instinctively as Goku stepped behind him and wrapped him in a hug. The strange feeling didn't go away but warmed up with the familiar affection he was coming to associate with Goku, and he held still and let his mate hold him. After a moment he let his arms drop and tilted his head until his cheek touched Goku's chest, still damp and a little cool from the water.

"What...what are you feeling?" Vegeta asked.

"That I love you," Goku said.

"No...under that. When you saw me stand."

"Oh...um..."

Vegeta glanced up and found a blush on his mate's cheeks. "What?" He frowned as he saw the familiar grin appear, but it didn't seem directed at him. Rather, his mate seemed embarrassed.

"I just...well, it's your...um..."

A deep rumble in Vegeta's throat warned Goku to spit it out.

"This," and Goku trailed a finger down a deep scar across his prince's shoulder. "And this." He followed one across his chest and slipped down to one that started on Vegeta's stomach, following it under the water.

**SCENE MISSING**

As an afterthought, he let go of Goku's hair, massaging the skin there to soothe any soreness his tight grip had caused. He opened his eyes and spotted a thin stream of reddish water on his shoulder and arms, and he sighed. "I still have blood in my hair..."

Goku might have offered to rinse it out for him but the feeling coming from his mate told him Vegeta wanted to do it himself. He pressed a kiss to his prince's forehead and waded to the shore, settling on the warm sand and watching as Vegeta bathed, soaking his hair again. Water flowed down his muscles and followed the paths of the scars that crisscrossed his body. That strange feeling Vegeta hadn't recognized was admiration for everything he'd come through and was going through right now. He didn't know how Vegeta could live with the constant throb of pain beneath every movement, emotional and physical. The wind hitting the water on him must have been icy.

"Can I ask you something?"

Vegeta glanced sideways at him, instantly suspicious. "What is it?"

"How come last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why now? Why'd you wait so long? How come last night, not before?"

Vegeta finished rinsing off the last traces of blood in his hair to gain time, scowling as Goku stared. "What difference does a few days make? I just did."

"But why?"

Growling deep in his throat, Vegeta turned to snap at him but a sweep of pain cut through his shoulder and back, stopping his move. He winced and walked back onto the bank, sitting down in the sand and glaring as Goku crawled closer, tail waving in the air. Trying to discourage him, Vegeta looked away, but Goku took the opportunity to nuzzle his throat, nipping his shoulders and touching his scars. One finger slowly traced the long scar running from his side down to his hip and he shivered, wincing as the too-fast movement pulled a muscle.

"Vegeta," Goku whispered in his ear, "why?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He wished they'd gone to a warm pond instead. Cold water always made him cramp.

"You're shivering."

"'S just the water."

Goku didn't answer. Without a word he put his hands on Vegeta's sides and picked him up, setting him between his legs before the prince could do more than gasp. He wrapped his mate in his arms and brought his legs closer together, trapping Vegeta in a loose embrace. There was a rush of surprise, maybe even fear, but that gave way to a deep breath and then Vegeta leaned back against him, turning his head to pillow on Goku's shoulder. A few drops of water dripped between them, even colder for their combined heat, sliding between their bodies and soaking the sand.

His heart beating steadily again, Vegeta breathed out and forced himself to relax. His mate had no intentions of using him right now, the lack of that intimidating hardness was obvious. He accepted shelter from the wind, allowing Goku to touch his hair and cheek, still damp. His foolish mate seemed entranced by his hair and ran his fingers through it, unthinkingly grooming him. On a whim he reached up and touched Goku's hair, still wet and still in spikes.

"Why doesn't your hair go down?" he wondered, his hand moving down a few inches to grasp the back of his mate's neck. Without waiting for an answer, he drew his head down for a kiss.

Goku smiled around his mate's mouth. Chichi had never kissed like this, drinking him in. Her kisses were cold, an occasional tap on his cheek, always close-mouthed. The only time she closed her mouth, he thought. Then he felt the tip of Vegeta's tongue gaining entrance and put his wife out of his head, putting all his focus on his mate's tongue and treating the kiss as a miniature battle. For a moment he thought he'd won, pinning Vegeta down and exploring his mouth, but his prince rolled out from under him, slid behind and didn't bother trying to trap him, triumphantly tasting him and using his victory to keep Goku trapped, too surprised and enraptured to fight back.

Abruptly Vegeta pulled back, leaving Goku leaning forward for more until his prince put a hand on his face, stopping him. He blinked and watched Vegeta concentrate, eyes lowered as he thought. His ki began to drop.

"Kakarrot," he whispered, "hide yourself."

Without question, he obeyed. The moment his ki had faded, a light touch swept over him. It took him a few seconds to realize that was Tien's ki searching for them, but with their power muted to less than an animal's, he easily passed by them. Tien's ki continued through the forest, unaware of the near miss.

"Your midget's quick," Vegeta said.

"Huh?"

"Krillin," he said. "He's already spread word of your affair."

"Oh..." Goku murmured. "Chichi's gonna be mad at me."

"What do you care?" Vegeta said, looking up at him. "You don't belong to her. You never belonged to her. You're mine. Don't concern yourself with what the humans say."

Goku cried out in surprise as he realized something and clasped Vegeta a little harder. "But what about you? I don't want them accusing you of--"

"I did what they'll accuse me of," Vegeta interrupted. "Or did I not tempt you in the woods and force this bond on you?" He tried to adjust himself off a digging cramp in his thigh but he was trapped with Goku's arms, like two pythons, coiled around him.

"You forced nothing on me," Goku said softly. "You know I could have stopped you." Even though Vegeta growled at that, he kept going. "You told me to lay down, you told me not to power up. You never forced me. I could have turned level three and thrown you off, but I didn't. I wanted this. I...I've wanted this for a long time."

"Damned strange way of showing it. Stupid mate." The moment the words left his lips, he felt a sting in his mate's mind, a bitter tang that felt stronger because it felt alien in Goku's mind, while it was all too familiar in his own. "What the..."

"Please don't call me that," Goku whispered.

Vegeta felt a few seconds of panic. "Mate?"

"Stupid. I've never...I always thought you hated me." Goku didn't let go but slid one hand down to Vegeta's, knitting their fingers. "You always call me names and things. I don't like it."

Vegeta frowned and mulled that over. Of course he didn't like it, those words were meant to hurt, he'd wanted to hurt him. How could he explain that he exploited the one weapon that seemed to damage his rival when his punches could not. That he hated Goku's simplicity and wanted to provoke Kakarrot's wrath. That he loathed Goku's peaceful human life and wanted to smash it to pieces.

As if it meant nothing, he shrugged once. "Fine. Never again."

"Thank you, 'Geta."

He suffered through another hug, still considering. A thank you. Fitting, he insulted him for years and the idiot thanked him. Where was the indignation over such a half-hearted apology? Or maybe Goku was so self-satisfied that he could stop Vegeta, make him do whatever he wanted, that he didn't think the prince was worth getting indignant over? Over confident fool! A cramp lanced through his side, stronger than usual, egging on his rising fury. He'd show him how stupid it was to blindly trust a Saiyan prince--

Goku's hands came to rest on his shoulders and began kneading the muscles there. Vegeta blinked, rage replaced by confusion. Why the hell would Goku start rubbing--oh. Oh. God. Vegeta eyes widened as his shoulders started to relax, warmed and soothed beneath his mate's hands. The constant pain faded to a dull throb as old injuries slowly fell dormant.

The sensation didn't take him completely by surprise. He'd rubbed out sore spots for years, but the sheer effectiveness, the amount Goku could simply push away...he groaned as his mate started to rub harder and his head slipped sideways, falling back slightly as he panted in time to Goku's thrusts and pulls. Heaven. This had to be heaven.

Then Goku moved to his lower back, and Vegeta wondered how he could feel so good without having sex. He decided he'd command his mate to do this every day. Every half-day, maybe. Hardened muscles yielded along his back and sides, giving way to whatever his mate did.

"You're so tight," Goku whispered, working harder to please his mate.

"More," Vegeta hissed, throwing his head back on Goku's shoulder. "Don't stop. Don't even slow down."

To his delight, Goku didn't do either, snaking his arms around his front to rub the joints in his hips and then each thigh, down his legs, gently drawing them up so he could reach him easier. Then his left foot. He nearly passed out.

"No calluses," Goku wondered, hands working under his arch, "even with the way you kick. Those must be some boots."

Long minutes passed as he let his mate work him over. Not two days ago he would have cringed to have someone's hands on him casually, let alone so intimately. Now he wanted as much as Goku would give. He allowed himself to be manhandled, gently turned to face Goku, legs spread and placed over Goku's thighs just like the night before. Vegeta sighed that the job was over, but this was a good enough price for sex and after giving so much, Goku probably wanted something in return. As a last touch, Goku rubbed his hands one at a time, starting at the wrist and working up through each finger. Vegeta watched out of corner of his eye as he rested his head against his mate's chest.

To his surprise, Goku's tail came around his waist and merely held him there, caught bonelessly in his mate's embrace. He wasn't positioned any further. He even felt Goku's legs cross behind him, holding him comfortably in place. To his delight, Goku started rubbing the back of his neck with his fingertips. He savored it, schooling his face to appear unimpressed but inwardly holding the affection close. Hadn't Goku felt his anger? What was his mate thinking? He took everything his third class baka offered and returned nothing. With a sigh he closed his eyes and drowsed, occasionally feeling a bit of the breeze around his mate's arms, warm and protected.

"You know, we still need to go shopping," Goku said. "We didn't even bring back the dinosaur."

From his quiet mumble, Vegeta clearly didn't care. "No matter. We'll hunt later and bring back something large enough to fill your kitchen."

Goku didn't argue. The previous surge of anger from his mate was gone. Even better, Vegeta didn't mind simply sitting with him, letting him touch his body. Chichi wouldn't have held still for any of it. She insisted they always lay in the dark, and after sex, she'd either get up out of bed and go do some housework, or she'd fall asleep, which wouldn't be so bad if she'd just fall asleep in his arms. But he was too warm, she swore he'd suffocate her. And even those moments of sex were far and few between now. Maybe it was because she didn't want to have another pregnancy. But she wouldn't even get down on her knees for him, or let him go down on her.

He breathed in the scent of Vegeta's hair. Here was a mate, a prince, who'd had him twice out of doors, on the ground, who would let Goku do whatever he wanted in a river where anyone could've seen, who'd sit naked with him in a forest. He noticed the gouge on Vegeta's throat, the half-circle his teeth had made, and he nuzzled the wound. Here was a mate who'd found a way to mix a bloody hunt with food with sex. And all he had to do was give up his marriage.

His stomach clenched. He couldn't give him up. Vegeta was so much more real than Chichi, more emotional, more intense. Even after less than a day, his wife was a vague memory, already pushed out of his mind by Vegeta, but he didn't know how everyone else would react. His friends, his soon to be ex-wife, his sons...he tightened his grip on his mate. It was worse knowing they were looking for him.

Who had Krillin told? Tien obviously, which meant Chaotzu had to know. Probably 18 and Roshi. And one of them would insist that Chichi know, and after her, everyone would find out. Vegeta seemed so sure that Trunks and Goten would back him up. Goku had to take his word for that. He hardly even knew his second son. But then he'd thought he didn't know the prince, and now he found that Vegeta had wanted him just as much.

Vegeta would be with him. That would be enough. He didn't belong to his friends or Chichi or his sons. There'd be repercussions, but he'd weather them with his mate. He belonged to Vegeta. Just as Vegeta belonged to him, even if he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

TBC...


	4. 4

NOTE: The lemon scenes were edited out to suit this archive's rules, and are denoted by the prominent SCENE MISSING ala the Nine Inch Nails "Closer" video. The scenes can be found at my website, available on my profile page.

****

Part 4

Curled together, still warm from the sun, Vegeta pillowed his head on his mate's shoulder and watched the sun sparkle between the leaves. He didn't know how long they'd been there, curled together on the grass. It couldn't have been too long, the sun hadn't even crossed over the river yet, but already the pain crept into his joints, his bones, down his back. It was nothing he hadn't felt before, but after that brief moment when it had all faded, when he'd felt the wind and ground rather than the flaring of old wounds, the sensation of it coming back tasted bitter.

Twinges and old pain played over most of him, an occasional spike in his spine forcing his back to tighten before he could relax it again. No, he wouldn't hunt tonight. Kakarrot could do that, as long as he waited for his prince to fall asleep first. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in Kakarrot's shirt, wishing sleep would come faster.

Beneath him, Goku shifted and slipped his hands onto the prince's shoulders. Vegeta looked up at him in confusion.

"Trust me," Goku whispered. "Don't move."

There was no time to ask. A warm shot of ki penetrated his shoulder, spreading through the joint like a soft injection. The effect was immediate. The pain disappeared as if brushed away, and the sudden relief left his entire arm limp. Vegeta looked down at it to make sure it was still there. Normal sensations, his mate's body, the wind on his skin, crept back into his hand, no longer drowned under the dull burn. The relief was almost pain in itself.

But then the next bolt of ki flowed into his other shoulder, leaving that arm limp yet alive. Vegeta shook his head in a panic. The loss was too much, as if he were dying all over again, slowly, the life slipping out of him in pieces and him slipping out of Kakarrot's hold. Before he could say anything, a plea for mercy he tried to bite back, his mate held him tighter and whispered again, "trust me." It was impossible to obey and Vegeta buried his face in his mate's throat, fighting to surrender.

The first touch on his spine released him. Rendered helpless, he slumped in his mate's arms as pain scattered and disappeared. Tears welled and spilled over. The change felt like it should hurt and the lack of fire confused him and he choked, ashamed and trying to hide from Kakarrot in Kakarrot.

"It's all right," Goku whispered, stroking his hair. For several minutes he held him, waiting as Vegeta adjusted and managed to move his arms and returned his hold. "It's all right."

"This is what you always feel?" Vegeta whispered. "It's all gone."

"All the pain?" Goku asked. He tentatively reached into their bond, hoping to feel relief and joy. He breathed in and clutched Vegeta close. Relief, yes, but even more fear. "'Geta?"

It took all his strength to latch onto his mate, digging his fingers into Goku's arms so hard he heard him wince, but right then he didn't care. He was fading along with his pain and he clung to the one person who might save him from disappearing. Without constant fire coursing through his muscles, his body felt too light to move. The world started to turn black and for a moment he thought he was dying.

As Vegeta passed out, Goku held him close, cradling him. He had to sit back and take a deep breath, staring at the sky. What had he done wrong? He'd only wanted to help his mate. Instead he'd made him panic. Vegeta's pain couldn't be that much a part of him, could it? So ingrained over his lifetime that he couldn't exist without it?

"Not anymore," Goku whispered. "I promise."

If Vegeta wasn't awake, then he couldn't complain about instant transmission. Goku took him home and set him on his bed, pulling the blanket up around his shoulders. The weather around his house was still cold. Pressing a kiss to his mate's forehead, he smoothed his damp hair back into its usual spikes. "I know you'll argue when you wake up," he whispered, "and you'll act pissed. But that's okay. You can't hide it." Even now, he felt his mate's subconscious reaching for him, holding the warmth of his love around him like another blanket. "You can't hide it anymore."

He stood, staring at his mate for a moment longer, then disappeared, reappearing in Capsule Corps. To his surprise, he didn't find Bulma in her lab, but he did find her dragon ball radar. He didn't have to look hard; he knew from experience where she kept it. He went to slip it into his belt and suddenly noticed he didn't have a belt. In fact, he didn't have his shirt or pants, either.

About to go back to the river and gather their clothes, he then remembered that Vegeta didn't have clothes, the borrowed shirt torn apart and borrowed pants forgotten somewhere in a field. He couldn't help a brief smile as he wondered if he could keep Vegeta like that forever, then shook his head. He left the lab, keeping an eye out as he went down the hall and up the stairs to where he knew Vegeta slept. Or used to sleep. That kept the smile on his face.

The room was as bare as a cheap motel: bed, table, cabinet, chair, tv. He went through the dresser drawers but found them all empty, then turned to the closet. There he found Vegeta's usual training outfits neatly folded at the bottom, the white armor set beside them. Hanging above them were all the outfits Bulma had bought, bright yellow pants, pink shirts, green shorts, polkadot sweaters. He winced and looked away as if he'd stared into the sun.

"Maybe she's color blind," he thought, and gathered everything Vegeta had folded up. A small lump under the clothes caught his attention and he spotted his mate's old scouter tucked in the corner. He picked it up and stared at it, remembering the first day he'd met the prince. "Heh...only took twenty years to bring him around."

He set the scouter on top of the blue uniforms and stood, looking around the room one more time. Just as he was about to leave, he spotted a small, unframed photograph on the corner of the table. He picked it up and found Trunks and Goten, their training outfits torn and muddy, smiling at the camera in startled delight. Goku tilted his head. If anything, he would've expected Vegeta to have a photo only of Trunks. Why would he have a picture of both? Goku knew Bulma must have thousands of photos of Trunks. He supposed Vegeta simply felt affection for both boys.

"Goten's over at Capsule Corps more than here," Chichi had said once. "He's even been talking about going to the same college as Trunks, and while I'd love to see him studying at a prestigious university, I don't know where we're going to get the money, since you never have a job and kami knows we barely have enough to keep the house going but you never even--"

Goku winced and shoved the memory out of his mind. He set the photo on top of his bundle and appeared back inside his living room. While he set the clothes down and fished for an empty picture frame inside a drawer, he thought about finding some new clothes for his mate. As much as Vegeta lived in those training uniforms, the prince probably avoided earth clothes only because of the humiliation of Bulma's lack of taste. There. He picked out a simple wooden frame and slipped in the picture of the boys, then took it to the bedroom, intending to set it next to the other photos. Instead he found an empty bed and the window wide open, the curtains blowing in the breeze. "Vegeta?" he whispered. He set the picture down on the nightstand and leaned out the window, scanning the forest around his home.

Vegeta was nearby. A constant hum in the back of his mind reassured him of that. He climbed out of his window and stepped into the air, feeling along that link to find his mate. Not knowing quite how it was working, he relaxed and followed where it felt stronger, flying through the trees for awhile. After a few minutes he caught the scent of a fresh slaughter, and then spotted Vegeta standing over a dead deer, taking it apart at the joints, having already skinned it. Goku's breath hitched. Blood covered his mate's hands and arms, his feet and legs, and a good portion of his waist.

Vegeta noticed he was no longer alone and looked up, brushing a stray bit of hair from his face and leaving a stray mark of blood on his cheek. When Goku came closer, standing right next to him, he leaned back, looking up at him.

"We already had breakfast," Goku whispered, looking him over.

"I...I just wanted to hunt without the pain," Vegeta said softly. "I didn't know when it would come back. And you said you hadn't restocked your kitchen, and..." His voice trailed off as Goku took his hand, raising it to his mouth and licking off the blood. "Kakarrot?"

Goku leaned close and licked the bit of blood from his cheek. "You look good in blood," he whispered in his ear. He touched their link, lightly sweeping over Vegeta's emotions. A second later he felt Vegeta touch back, but tentatively, as if afraid he'd be burned. Goku let him in, feeling his mate's curiosity brushing his emotions. Love, a little lust...He smiled despite himself. Okay, a lot of lust.

"Why does that make you laugh?" Vegeta asked.

"I..." Goku's smile broadened and he put his arms around his mate, drawing him close. "I love you so much, and being so close makes it even better. I feel kind of greedy for wanting you that way too when I have so much of you already."

Vegeta stared at him long enough to make him squirm. Now it was Goku's turn not to understand the emotion from his mate, a strange feeling of lightness, like a bubble. Then Vegeta smiled, and the bubble filled up.

"That's how I felt when I took you last night," he said.

"Really?"

The smile turned into a smirk. "Well, that and a little frustration. I'm never having you on rocky ground ever again."

Goku grinned. "That leaves a lot of other places," he said, going back to lick Vegeta's bloodied hands clean. "No pain right now?"

"None..." Vegeta watched him work, tending his hands like a puppy. "It'll come back. I've worked that same trick, just never so efficiently."

Holding Vegeta's hands in his now, effectively trapping him, Goku leaned down and stole a brief kiss before looking into his eyes. "I got your clothes from Capsule Corps. They're in the bedroom."

Vegeta looked down at his caught hands. "Good. I'm not about to try yours again."

Goku smiled. "And I got you scouter and the photograph on your table."

"You what?"

"I put it in a frame in our bedroom," Goku said. "And the scouter...it reminds me of when I first met you."

"I'm surprised you'd want to remember that."

"...you won that fight, you know," Goku said softly. "If Yajirobe hadn't cheated and cut off your tail, you would've had me."

"I hated you so much then," Vegeta said. "To allow your friends to interfere and claim such cheating as victory...Yajirobe, hmm? That's the fat samurai, right?"

Too late, Goku realized his slip, and through the bond felt the same bloodlust as when Vegeta had killed the raptor. He tightened his grip on his mate's hands. "'Geta, no. No. You can't kill him."

"I won't kill him," Vegeta said with a small smile. "Not right away."

"No, I won't let you hurt my friends. It was almost twenty years ago, we were fighting to save our planet and I'd lost."

Vegeta's eyes gleamed. "Say that again."

"What? We were fighting--"

"No," Vegeta shook his head. "The last part."

"I lost?"

"Yes..." He stepped closer, putting his head against Goku's chest. It didn't matter that Goku had his hands trapped between them now. "Say it again."

"I lost to you," Goku said slowly. He'd known his mate still harbored dark feelings and desires, but actually feeling them left him uneasy. Vegeta's urge to kill slipped away, replaced by a rush of power. He looked into his mate's mind again, the sexual lust mixed with a need for violent domination, and shivered. "You defeated me."

"Mmm." Vegeta stretched up a little to kiss his mate's mouth, then slowly dropped to his knees, never once trying to tug his hands free.

SCENE MISSING

After a few seconds of catching his breath, Goku drew his mate back to his feet, still holding onto his wrists. They both looked down at the prince's trapped hands, and Vegeta looked up.

"You can let me go any time now," he said.

"I don't want to," Goku said, "ever."

"Well, you'd better, or the deer is going to start rotting." He leaned up again and kissed him, then stepped back, and Goku reluctantly let go. "I think you can bring the pieces home. We can clean the up there."

While he groaned about having to carry so much, especially when it wasn't in one piece, he was a little relieved when Vegeta picked up the bloody fur. He didn't know what Vegeta intended to do with it, but no doubt his mate had an idea. He'd wait and see. As they flew back, a thought struck him. He turned the image over in his mind.

"'Geta?"

"What?"

"Um, next time we do...that," Goku said, "or something like that. You know?"

"Yes...what is it?"

"Do you think maybe you could wear the scouter?"

"...pervert."

They landed, and Vegeta disappeared with the skin while Goku took everything to the kitchen to further butcher it and wrap it up in plastic and stick it in the refrigerators. Stripping the deer took longer because of the sheer amount of meat and blood, and he spent a good amount of time just cleaning up afterward. Once done, he searched out his mate and found him a little beyond his backyard, the skin stretched neatly on the ground and clean. Vegeta sighed and stood up, apparently just finished as well. He stretched and glanced at his mate.

"As much as I like having you naked all the time," he said, "I think I'd like to shower and get dressed."

"Aww..." But showering with his mate was compensation enough, as was returning Vegeta's favor in the forest. Though he'd had to promise repeatedly that he wasn't hungry and that he wouldn't let his mind wander onto food.

SCENE MISSING

When finally released, Goku got to his feet and put his arms around Vegeta, holding him close. "It's coming back, isn't it?"

A brief shrug, which meant yes. The twinges in his legs, the fire across his shoulders, the needles all through his spine, not too strong yet but slowly growing. The near-scalding water only slowed it down. He couldn't complain, though. He'd enjoyed his mate for several hours without pain. Wordlessly he drew back and stepped out of the shower, toweling off before dropping it on the floor.

"You said my clothes are here?"

"In the living room." Goku rushed to turn off the water and dry off, but Vegeta was already ahead of him.

Spotting his things on the table, Vegeta walked over, intending to grab a change of clothing. Instead he paused and stared at the bundle on the table. Specifically, the dragonball radar on top of his clothes. He picked it up just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, then turned around. He nearly bumped into Goku, who'd come up behind him. "Kakarrot? Why do you have this?"

"I'm going to find them," Goku said. "I don't want you to feel any more pain."

"Don't come complaining when your friends hate you."

"They're not my prince." Goku took the radar out of Vegeta's hands and set it aside.

"They will confront you. You know they won't idly stand by--"

"Then I'll stop them."

"How?"

"I'll..." Goku considered, then shrugged. "I'll think about that when it happens."

"Idiot," Vegeta said, about to start snapping at him when he remember he'd promised not to call him names again. He growled softly, then louder when Goku grinned.

"No, that's okay," Goku said, reaching over to the table again. He picked up the scouter and set it on Vegeta's face, positioning it over his eye. "There we go." Before Vegeta could react, he picked up his prince and brought him over to the sofa, plopping him down and putting one arm over him on the back of the chair, using his other hand to block him in. "You can be as growly as you want right now."

Unable to stop himself from growling even louder, Vegeta still let him push his legs apart and hold one arm down. More annoying was the scouter reading Goku's power levels as off its charts and blinking green warnings at him. He hadn't looked through it in years; doing so now felt like going back in time.

"Aren't you gonna taunt me?" Goku asked, nuzzling his cheek. "Call me weak and stupid?"

"Kakarrot, you asked me not to--"

"Just for now, 'kay?" Goku sat up and grinned, eyes wide and naive. "This is fun!"

"...pervert."

TBC...


End file.
